Page 5 of The Wild Hunt (Sold to the Fae Duet #1)

We have been confined to our rooms for the two days they spend imprisoning the rest of the women. There’s a thin slot at the bottom of the door, which I had missed on my many inspections of the room until my breakfast had come pushed through it the morning after the lottery.

The robot lady happily announced that to discourage violence and encourage acceptance amongst the sudden high influx of Chosen, we were to relax in our rooms until every guest had arrived and had the opportunity to settle in for themselves.

“How do they divide us amongst floors and buildings?” I had asked the others the night before our sudden lockdown over a dinner of hot roast pork, crispy potatoes, and deliciously thick gravy.

“I don’t think there is a system,” Akari had shrugged .

Jabira, who had been here the longest, a full week before my arrival, adds, “I have been trying to track a pattern amongst every new arrival, the days they arrive, where they come from, their attractiveness, or lack thereof if you include Georgia over there,” she’d nodded towards the boisterous, large and tattooed woman who had called out to me at lunch earlier.

I couldn’t help but snort. Jabira did not seem the sort of woman to judge another by her looks.

I had to wonder what Georgia had done to instill this venom in her. “I have found no such pattern.”

During my 2 days in solitary confinement, I tried to come up with an answer myself, but came up blank. It didn’t help that I had only seen the other woman those 2 times.

The in-room meals had been very basic. Sandwiches, cereals, soups, and fruits. My stomach gurgled for something more substantial.

It was also extremely boring not being able to leave my room.

It was getting claustrophobic, and I’d never had any issues with small spaces before.

I had read through every stupid pamphlet they had placed in my room multiple times over.

‘ How to Distinguish Fae from Human’, ‘A Guide to Mythological Creatures’, and ‘ What to Expect When Stepping into the Unknown’.

The last was by far the stupidest. There is literally no information about what’s on the other side of the portal.

The entire pamphlet was speculation, not a drop of useful information.

I didn’t mind the mythological creature guide so much.

It was interesting, though terrifying, to wonder if more than just fae stood beyond the shimmering purple pool.

The guide had mentioned every being you could imagine, from dragons and unicorns to mermaids and vampires.

It was even more terrifying knowing that in just 5 days, I would potentially know exactly what other creatures are out there.

I also spend a lot of time working out: running in place, star jumps, sit-ups, and push-ups. I force myself to move until my legs want to give out and the very air in my lungs burns. But it keeps me sane.

I spend more time than I care to admit pacing from door to wall.

I stare out the window. I watch as bus after inconspicuous bus comes and goes.

I watch the soldiers’ running drills. I squint into the distant skies as I try to spot a single form of life besides the humans below, but not even a bird will fly this close to the portal.

I watch the shimmering purple field for signs of bubbling and steaming.

Not enough days have passed for it to open, but I watch it nonetheless.

Sometimes I panicked, thinking that perhaps I had slept through another 36 hours at some point and that the day we were due to leave was closer than I thought.

It wasn’t. Logically, I knew that. I had 5 days left.

Escape didn’t seem possible, but I prayed the government would change its mind and fight the fae instead of handing us over.

Maybe my father would return the money he had sold me for, and I could go home.

Not likely. But I still hoped. For a damn fucking miracle.

The sounds from the hallways turn to silence as every single woman here accepts their fate. Day bleeds into night with an array of beautiful colors: pinks, oranges, purples, and a deep, deep blue, before retiring to the moon and stars.

Dinner arrives through the flap at my door. My mouth waters as the aroma of something more than soup fills the air. I investigate the tray eagerly, spying a bowl of vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles before I lift the lid covering dinner.

“Gods, yes!” I moan.

It is chicken schnitzel smothered in gravy with a side of cauliflower most step warily from their rooms, eyes darting about.

“This way to the dining hall!”

I roll my eyes as the breaking voice of ol’ Pimpleton calls from further down the hall. I ignore him as I scout the unfamiliar faces until I spy one I know.

“Akari!” I call, skipping past the wide-eyed strangers who step out of my path as if I’m a virus they don’t want to catch. I guess my cheeriness was odd in the face of our situation. But I was too excited about finally getting out of the room to give a shit.

“Delta! I can’t believe they kept us locked up for so long,” Akari sighs as I step up to her side and hook my elbow through hers.

I groan. “Gods, it was the worst! Just send me to Faerie now!”

Akari laughs, and even more distance develops between us and the other Chosen. I couldn’t care less. I had no intention of making any more friends. It would be hard enough losing Akari, Jabira, and Jasmin when we crossed. Assuming we were to be separated. But perhaps our strength was in numbers…

The line at the buffet is tediously long now that our floor is fully populated.

“Akari! Delta! Over here!”

Jabira and Jasmin are near the front, and they wave us over. Akari blushes and keeps her eyes trained on the floor as we receive more than a few scoffs and irritated looks.

I can’t help but grin and blow a kiss to one especially vocal girl. She couldn’t be over 21, and she was as perfect as a Barbie Doll—plastic and fake. She scoffs and flips her perfectly platinum hair over her shoulder. I snort. She had no hope of maintaining it in the Hotel, let alone Faerie.

“Jabira! Jasmin!” I say as we reach them.

Jabira instantly scoops me into an embrace I could only describe as warm and…

motherly? Shit, it had been so long since my mother had disappeared, I had forgotten how a genuine hug could feel from a maternal figure.

“How have you both been holding up? You know, with the whole lockdown bullshit.”

Jasmin seems to posture herself to become as small as possible, with her shoulders hunched inwards and her arms folded around her front. She bites her lip, and her eyes dart nervously around the room. Isolation did not agree with her.

Jabira pops her arm around Jasmin’s shoulders as if she, too, has sensed her withdrawal and anxiousness.

“It was certainly an experience I do not wish to revisit anytime soon,” she says, pulling Jasmin close .

“Yeah,” Jasmin says hollowly. “It’s going to be hard heading back to that…” she stutters. “That cell after breakfast.”

“I think I’ve read How to Distinguish Human from Fae at least a hundred times over,” Akari adds with a shudder.

“Same!” I laugh. “You guys should try out a mini-exercise class. I’ll even give you all a program.” I wink.

“Exercise?” Jasmin looks like she’s never even heard the word before. “I mean… I suppose it could fill the time…” she trails off, and I know for sure she won’t even consider it.

Akari, however, looks thoughtful.

“We might need stamina and muscle in Faerie,” she says. “Do you think it’s too late for me to start?”

“It’s never too late to start something new,” I smile.

Akari returns my smile with one of her own.

“Oh, good, it’s our turn!”

Jasmin lets me go ahead of her, and I load my plate with a bit of everything. Bacon, eggs, hash browns, mushrooms, toast- they even have smashed avocado! I grab an orange juice from the fridge, and we find a table for four together.

We eat in companionable silence, Jasmin like a dainty dame, and I like a starved animal.

I have the largest plate, but I manage to clear it first. As the others chew at more respectable rates, I let my eyes roam around the cafeteria.

There are girls and women from so many nationalities and backgrounds.

Some gossip as if they have been friends for a lifetime, others sit in groups, yet completely ignore one another.

I even spy a couple of hostile glares. One of which is aimed my way .

Little Platinum from the food line. I smile and send her a twinkle-fingered wave. She rolls her eyes, flips her damn hair again and turns away to whisper to an equally platinum blonde beside her. This one has so many piercings that I’d lose count before I even tried.

I turn back to my friends.

“So, what does everyone make of the whole medical examination thing? Are we getting a final pap smear before we cross?” I joke. Unsurprisingly, it falls flat.

“I’ve never had a pap smear…” Akari says nervously.

“Same,” Jasmin adds.

“It’s not so bad,” Jabira gives them each a gentle smile.

“It’s an unfortunate necessity,” I add. “But I don’t think we’ll be receiving one, anyway. I am sorry for suggesting it. I was just trying to… I don’t know? Ease my nerves?”

“It’s ok,” Akari says. “It’s not like I hadn’t had the thought myself. I hope I’m on today’s list. I don’t want to spend the next four days worrying about it. Better to get it over with, I say.”

“Yes, I hope so too,” I say.

“We are but one floor of women to be examined,” Jabira says.

“And it will take four days just to work through the hundred of us. It makes you wonder just how big this whole thing is. The number of doctors they have employed, the guards, the cooks, and the conscripts in the army below. It’s all so big . ”

“Not big enough to quash the fae and this whole stupid lottery,” I scoff.

We fall silent, each lost in our thoughts .

Eventually, Jabira strikes up a conversation again, but I’m too lost inside my head to listen. She was right, just now. Questioning how big the lottery has gotten. How was the government affording all this?

It made me wonder if perhaps the government received more than just peace from our faerie neighbors.